The Picture is Always Bigger
by The Lone Varg
Summary: Nick and Judy were partners in the ZPD police force, and they were damn good together. After Judy is abducted by an underground, prey-hunting organization, it's up to Nick to find her. Not only does Judy have to survive the insanity of of her captors, but now Nick must dive into a world that he had never thought could exist. His love will push him to save Judy no matter what.
1. Prologue

**Suppose I should start off by saying that I'm kinda new to writing, but I like what I do! I start my stories off with a prologue, to test the waters before investing too much emotion and time into a story! Let me know what you think of my style and if you'd want anymore chapters. I also realize that after reading this chapter, the summary may be a bit misleading, but this introduction leads up to the story later on! I'm also cutting this in half, so I don't have to write as much. Cuz I'm a lazy dude.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Summary:** **Nick and Judy were partners in the ZPD police force, and they were damn good together. After Judy is abducted by an underground, prey-hunting organization, it's up to Nick to find her. Not only does Judy have to survive the insanity of of her captors, but now Nick must dive into a world that he had never thought could exist. His love will push him to save Judy no matter what.**

 **Words this Chapter: 2,476 (Excluding A:N's and Bold Text.)**

* * *

 **Prologue**

Nick sat in the squad car, sighing lightly in the warm car. Summer had rolled around for central Zootopia, and even with the AC on, the squad car still got fairly warm, to Nick's dismay. Wanting fresh air, Nick turned off the AC and cracked the squad car's windows, looking out and enjoying the soft summer breeze that blew through the car. It hadn't been a terribly hot summer, but Judy and he both knew that if they really needed to cool down, they could stroll into Tundratown and flop around in the snow.

Nick, looking back out the driver's side window from his passenger seat, watching as Judy seemed to be making small talk with the owner of the coffee shop as Judy pointed to a spot on the small menu, and the owner happily obliging with a smile. Judy and Nick had made good friends with the owner, since they frequented the shop constantly for coffee's or small pastry's that the cafe was popular for. The fox and bunny duo had been lucky to land an easy patrol assignment after their big break with the Nighthowler case, though they still

 _"Officers in the City 7 area we've got a 10-66 in central Zootopia, please respond."_ Nick, jolting in surprise from the sudden message from the police scanner, clicked the receiver.

"10-4, Officer Wilde in response." Nick stated in a mock professional tone. "Can I get a location on the suspect?"

 _"Notified by a concerned citizen of a suspicious animal in a dark trench coat with a black fedora. Small in stature and was last seen entering Jumbeaux's Cafe."_ The responder replied reciting information from a call to the Precinct.

"Is the suspect possibly armed and dangerous?" Nick said sitting up as he looked towards the cafe Judy was in. Thankfully Noir Cafe was their go to place, since the owner of Jumbeaux's Cafe, was not exactly on good terms with Nick and Judy, since the Jumbo Pop incident. Nick smiled softly at the memory, of when they first met and how Judy was conned into helping him finish his day off with a wad of cash.

 _"No information is available Officer Wilde, proceed with caution."_

Nick put the receiver back on the scanner's holster and flipped the siren switch on and quickly back off, giving off a quick 'bee-woop'. Judy, in the cafe, turned and quickly nodded to Nick who was hanging out the window waving his arm towards the car, motioning her to hurry. Judy quickly grabbing the coffee from the cafe's owner and slapping down a few bills, ran out the cafe towards the squad car.

"What do we got today Nick?" Judy asked as she hopped into the driver's seat, putting the coffees down into the cupholders as she cranked the engine.

"Got a suspicious animal, last seen entering that Cafe where I conned you." Nick replied clicking his seat belt.

"You're never gonna let that go, are you?" Judy said rolling her eyes.

"You know it, cottontail." Nick replied, flashing his sly smile her way. Judy stuck out her tongue while laughing lightly as she flipped on her sirens and hit the gas, heading towards the center of the city. The sirens from their squad car wailing through the city's streets and echoing through alleyways.

They had been driving for a minute or so and only had a few more to go before they reached the cafe that they needed to get to. Nick enjoyed the passenger seat, because he got to indulge his guilty pleasure. Judy had always offered to let Nick drive, and he did take up her offer every now and then, but he would almost always reject, so that he could watch Judy in her natural environment. The way she looked when she was 'in-the-zone' always made Nick happy to have met her. The one thing that truly made Nick feel something for this bunny was her personality, and her will to fight against those who tried to tell people who to be or what they couldn't do.

Judy was intoxicating... she was Nick's drug, and boy did he want to be on that high for the rest of his life. Though he knew the social complications of interspecies dating was... complicated. It was a social taboo to do things like that, no matter who you were. Nick knew that his love for Judy had to remain a secret, whether or not he wanted them to be something they never could. Though one day, he felt that something might change, something spectacular.

"Hey. Nick, focus!" Judy giggled softly looking at Nick, who to her, was just staring off into space. Nick's eyes heavy lidded and a drunk smile on his face. "We're gonna be there soon, if you're that tired, just drink some coffee."

"Y-yeah! I am a little out of it today..." Nick replied laughing nervously as he grabbed the coffee and began to sip it. His ears, flat against his head as he seemed to shrink from a little embarrassment. Judy, not knowing what Nick's literal intentions were, just went back to focusing on the drive to the cafe.

Coming up on the scene Judy flipped off the sirens about a few blocks down, so as not to alert the suspect if their intentions were not good. Judy parked the squad car one building away from the cafe, being sure to park behind a building before looking at Nick with her gutsy smile.

"You wanna take lead on this one Nick?" Judy said, unclicking her seatbelt and opening the door as she stepped out of the vehicle.

"Sure! I guess I have to since I made you go first in the asylum..." Nick said chuckling and he threw on his shades and exited the car. He walked around the front of the squad car and met up with Judy as they began to walk down the sidewalk towards the cafe. The place where it all started, Nick thought. Judy seemed to smile softly, Nick only assuming that she was having the same daydream.

"Hey, Judy, me and a couple of the officers and Chief Bogo were gonna hang out tonight. Wondering if you wanted to come along?" Nick said, his hands in his pockets as he and Judy shuffled down the sidewalk, walking around an elephant who seemed to be in a hurry.

"What's the occasion?" Judy asked as she looked back at the elephant, who seemed to be in full sprint.

"It's Clawhauser's birthday!" Nick stated, surprised Judy had forgotten. "He's been talking about this new club he wanted to go to for the longest time, I'm surprised you forgot."

"Oh, gosh!" Judy said facepalming slightly, pinching her nose in annoyance. "I totally forgot! I still have to buy him a present!"

"Well, I guess you'll have to do that after we clean up here." Nick said as they both began to cross the street, towards Jumbeaux's Cafe.

* * *

 ** _Judy's P.O.V_**

It had happened so fast that I couldn't even react. All we heard was a gunshot and Nick was suddenly on the ground... for the first time in my life, everything slowed down. Suddenly kicking back into high gear, I dragged Nick over behind a parked car.

"Nick?!" I yelled as more gunshots fired through the air, making her duck behind the car as the glass broke from the window above them. "Come on Nick! Wake up!"

Judy jiggled Nick slightly, trying to find the wound, but thankfully it had only hit his arm. I checked for an exit wound, feeling tears fall down my face as I finally got Nick up and slightly awake. He cringed and held his arm tightly. The wound had an exit, so Judy tore part of Nick's uniform before quickly tying it around the wound.

"Aw come on Carrots, Chief's gonna be pissed about this... You know how he is with uniforms." Nick said grunting in pain. I only gave him a soft smile in return as I wiped the tears away from my face. "Though he usually doesn't care."

I did my best not to lose my cool, though I could tell amidst the screaming pedestrians and the loud beat of my heart, that there were no more gunshots being fired. I flattened my ears against my head, nervously checking if the shooter was still there, before having to duck down quickly as another shot was fired.

Grabbing my walkie talkie, I clicked the receiver getting directly to dispatch.

"Dispatch! This is Officer Hopps, we have a 417! Shots have been fired in public and Officer Wilde is down!" I said as another gunshot rang out, solidifying my point to the dispatch.

 _"Read you loud and clear, Officer Hopps. Ambulance and backup are being dispatched immediately, DO NOT engage threat."_ Dispatch replied swiftly. _"ETA is 3 minutes on the backup and 5 for the ambulance. How severe is the injury on Officer Wilde?"_

"I've had better days." Nick grunted loudly. I tried my hardest not to laugh at Nick's undying sarcasm, even with a wound like that.

 _"Be advised, all officers in the City 7 area, shots have been fired, and an Officer is down. Requesting all units to Jumbeaux's Cafe. Proceed with extreme caution."_

"A single gunshot to the arm, blood lose is minimal." I exclaimed as sirens seemed to echo throughout the city.

 _"Are their any civilian casualties?"_

"I'm unsure, we're pinned behind a vehicle with no way out!" Judy replied swiftly as she attempted to survey the situation beyond the car. Thinking quickly, I chucked my hat down the sidewalk, while my hat grabbed the shooter's attention for a short while. I peeked over the car and quickly surveyed the situation before ducking back down as another shot hit the car.

"Dispatch, no civilian casualties." I said as I clicked the receiver. "The shooter is currently holding hostages in the cafe. Weapon being used by shooter is unknown and 13 shots have been fired, including the bullet that hit Officer Wilde."

 _"10-4, Officer Hopps. Hunker down until backup has arrived and the situation is under control."_

I hooked my walkie talkie back down into my belt as I pulled myself close to Nick, examining his wound. I smiled as Nick flashed me his signature smile.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're in love with me, Officer Hopps." Nick said, sounding a little delirious.

"Do I know that? Yes I do." I said, smiling softly.

* * *

It hadn't been too long before that backup had arrived, and the situation had been taken care of due to the shooter, no longer having any bullets left. The officers did not hesitate to roughly shove the shooter into the cab of the car, before taking evidence and placing crime scene tape around the street and the cafe. Judy and Nick had been put in the back of an ambulance and checked up on as the other Officers took care of the rest. Letting the two rest up from the rather hectic end to their evening.

"Good thing the bullet passed through..." The EMR said as he cleaned Nick's wound, before wrapping it up in gauze and propping his arm in a sling.

"You sound disappointed." Nick said mockingly as he shifted his arm to get it as comfortable as possible.

"This is the most action I've had in about a week." He responded solemnly. "Though I never thought I'd deal with a gunshot wound in my life."

"I guess so..." Nick said as the EMR left Nick and Judy to their thoughts.

"By the way, you have a slight concussion, so be sure to get plenty of sleep and keep your head safe. Wear a helmet if you have to." The EMR said as he began to put away the materials into his Aid pack.

"Sure thing, doc."

"I still have to buy Clawhauser a present." Judy said suddenly, as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, so I get shot and you're only worried about presents?" Nick said, mocking a hurt tone while holding a hand to his chest dramatically.

"Well, it's his birthday!" She exclaimed jokingly as Nick laughed lightly. Judy calmed down slightly before lightly touching Nick's arm and smiling, "I really am glad that you weren't hurt Nick..."

"What are you talking about?" Nick said in a deadpan voice. "I was just shot, of course I'm hurt."

Judy punched his arm saying, "You know what I mean!" Before immediately regretting her actions as Nick winced hard.

"I'm so so sorry!" Judy said hopping up and rubbing Nick's arm.

"You sure are a clumsy bunny." Nick said laughing. Judy could feel her face heat up at her mistake looking down in embarrassment. "Thanks, Carrots. It means a lot."

She looked up with a wide smile, hugging Nick, being sure to avoid his arm. Nick surprised by the sudden hug, slowly wrapped his arm around her back, enjoying the embrace.

In that moment, Nick promised that nothing in the world would stop him from being there for Judy. That was a promise he WAS going to keep. No matter what.

* * *

 **Annnnnd DONE.**

 **I'll start the next chapter if everyone enjoys it!**

 **(Though I might just continue it, even if people hate it.) _I really wanna explore this story, so stay tuned._ ;}**


	2. Gone into the Night

**Well... Get ready, cause this is where the summary of my story really hits hard!**

 **Have fun reading!**

 **Summary:** **Nick and Judy were partners in the ZPD police force, and they were damn good together. After Judy is abducted by an underground, prey-hunting organization, it's up to Nick to find her. Not only does Judy have to survive the insanity of of her captors, but now Nick must dive into a world that he had never thought could exist. His love will push him to save Judy no matter what.**

 **Words this Chapter: 3,091 (Excluding A:N's and Bold Text.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Gone into the Night**

"Yeah... I hate to interrupt, but I still need to transport you to the hospital." The EMR said, interrupting Judy and Nick's rather private moment. The two shot away from each other as Nick gave a small glare at the EMR. "It's policy."

"You're just a pocket of sunshine aren't you?" Nick said in annoyance.

"It's my job to make sure you get better, I don't have to be nice to do that." The EMR replied as Judy hopped out of the ambulance.

Turning to Nick, she gave her goodbyes, as he did as well. Judy watching as the ambulance drove away leaving her to stand there in the street. The entire thing had seemed to have taken most of the day, the sun on the verge of setting. Judy turned around, watching as the other officers were walking around, keeping civilians away from the crime scene and holding back press until a representative had arrived. Judy assumed that it would most likely be Chief Bogo since he dealt with public relations on public crime every now and then.

"Officer Hopps!"

Turning to see Chief Bogo, Judy quickly obliged and walked over to the Chief. "Yes, Chief?"

"I'm gonna need you to handle the clean up while I handle the press." Chief Bogo knelt down, seeming to show some kind of sympathy to Judy. Very rarely had Judy seen Chief Bogo show of any emotion. "We'll talk when we get back to the station."

"Yes, sir." Judy said as the Chief gave her a pat on the back, which to Judy felt like a shove, but she knew the sentiment of it and enjoyed the sympathy either way.

The cleanup crew had a few officers, with Judy included where they took care of the rather messy street. Judy knew that the shooter had created a problem, but the extent of the damage surprised her very much so. The glass from the car's broken window was still there on the ground where Judy and Nick had been under cover just a few hours ago. The crime scene tape was still up, but had loosened from the constant tug of officers keeping civilians back and out of the way.

The cafe itself was intact, save for the shattered window that looked in on the shop. Judy was thankful that no civilians had been the shooter's small rampage. Judy and Nick had later learned when sitting in the back of the ambulance that the animal was attempting to rob the place, which made since, although the police were still trying to figure out where the animal had even gotten a gun in the first place. It had been a small six shooter, the shooter having extra bullets put somewhere in his pockets.

"Can't wait to do the paperwork for this one..." Judy said sarcastically, though she knew that she still had to talk with Chief Bogo at the station later tonight. The chill of the evening breeze caught Judy by surprise, making her shiver slightly, though she enjoyed the wind and how it woke her up. Taking a deep breath, Judy looked around and began to help clean up as Chief Bogo could be heard answering questions from the press, while flashing lights and cameras seemed to be everywhere.

"Could we please see the Officers who were first fired upon by the shooter?" Judy's ears shot up hearing a reporter ask Chief Bogo the question. The Chief seemed to stammer a bit with uncertainty as he looked back at Judy, who gave a curt nod.

"Yes, but I ask that you keep your questions short and to the point." Chief Bogo said to the group of reporters.

"This is the same Judy Hopps, who found the 14 missing animals in Zootopia?" A reporter retorted quickly, writing down in his notepad. Bogo, thinking it was rather stupid question, only turned to Judy and waved her over.

Judy swiftly walked over, as camera flashes and cameras focused on her. While she didn't enjoy the spotlight of media attention, it was nice to clarify a situation, even though the media had a way of twisting words from out of context quotes. When Judy was comfortably standing amongst the reporters and next to the Chief, a barrage of questions began to fly at Judy, who was more than prepared for this kind of situation. Judy quickly picked out a reporter, who in turn stepped forward and pulled their phone, and pointed it her way.

"Officer Hopps, do you know why the shooter fired at you and your partner?"

"Uh... No. I can only assume that the animal in question, after seeing law enforcement arrive, began to panic." Judy replied as she held her paws in a ball in front of her, trying to keep a professional stature. Another barrage of questions, and Judy once again singled out a reporter in the small crowed.

"Do you know how this animal got a weapon?" The reporter implied. "Aren't guns illegal to own in Zootopia?"

"Yes, guns are illegal." Judy replied swiftly. "Though the shooter may have obtained their weapon through illegal means."

"How so?"

"Their is a case that the ZPD have been working on to crack down on underground selling of firearms." Judy said, mentally kicking herself. It WAS a case kept private to the public due to the ZPD wanting to keep a tight lid on it. It was hard enough for the ZPD to find those selling the firearms in the city, but now it was going to be even harder.

"So your saying that we aren't safe? That any mammal could have a gun on them?" The reporter said, once again twisting Judy's words. "And why hasn't this case been announced to the public?"

"N-no... That's not what I said!" Judy implored as she shook her head. Her paws beginning to perspire. "The case wasn't brought to the public because of safety concerns!" The Chief, noticing Judy's mistake, quickly took action and stepped in front of Judy.

"No further questions." Chief Bogo said, the crowd of reporters seeming to only throw out more as he said so. "All questions can be directed to the Mayor when an official statement is made tomorrow morning."

The wave of reporters and new crew all attempted to follow Judy and the Chief as they began to walk away, only to be stopped and sectioned off by other officers who were keeping the public out of the crime scene. Chief Bogo, stopping with Judy at his squad car and got in closing the door on Judy. Judy stood there for a few seconds before the window rolled down and Chief Bogo leaned out of the window, looking down at Judy.

"You're causing more trouble than it's worth, Officer Hopps." Chief Bogo stated, annoyance prevident in his tone. Judy's ears flattened to her head as she looked down in a mix of shame and embarrassment.

"Sorry, sir..." Judy said slowly. "It just kinda slipped... out I guess."

"'Slipped out'?!" Chief Bogo replied angrily. "There are things you shouldn't let 'Slip Out'. You should know that all too well, Officer Hopps."

Judy stood there out side of Chief Bogo's squad car, her mood only worsening by the second. The Chief, noticing this only sighed in annoyance as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Officer Hopps. I realize that this may be a trying time, but there are some things you have to keep under wraps." Chief Bogo said as Judy nodded softly in compliance. "The paperwork tomorrow is going to be a problem, and the meeting in my office is going to have to be moved to that afternoon... Get some sleep Officer Hopps. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.

"Yes, sir." Judy said watching as the Chief put his car into reverse and began to leave the area, leaving Judy, standing in the middle of the street. It hadn't taken much longer for Judy and the rest of the Officer's to clean up the rest of the crime scene, before tearing down the yellow tape. The only animals there at the moment was Officer Mchorn, Judy herself, and the owner of Jumbeaux's Cafe. After clearing up the situation with the Cafe owner, Judy made her goodbyes with Officer McHorn and began to walk back down the sidewalk that had led to Nick and her's squad car.

The setting sun had seemed to be going down faster and faster, leaving a somewhat ominous value of light to the street that she was currently on. Shivering, Judy wrapped herself in her arms, trying her best to warm herself up by rubbing her arms quickly. The setting sun, seemingly gone by the time she reached her squad car was now making the city streets darker, though the street lights quickly buzzed on as the darkness seemed to grow. Hearing a crash, Judy turned around, facing a dark alleyway. Her nose twitched as she took a defensive stance towards the unknown noise.

* * *

 **Judy's P.O.V**

"Hello?" I said quietly as I looked into the dark alleyway. I probably would have felt a lot better about the situation, had Nick been here... His eyes allowed him to see in the dark, which made for night patrols a much more frequent thing for the two. Taking out my phone, I quickly turned on the flashlight mode and shined it down the alleyway. Seeing nothing, I slowly and methodically made my way towards the alleyway shining my flashlight into the alleyway, which gave it an anonymous feeling.

Hearing a rustling further down behind a dumpster, I slowly made my way over and slowly leaned over towards the dumpster. Making my way further down the alley, I slowly leaned to look behind the dumpster seeing a dark figure digging into what looked like at the trashcan.

"Freeze!" I said as I held out my phone. The animal quickly turned, getting quite defensive. I inspected the animal, a tiger, who was digging through the trash, and looked to have some kind of nasty piece of food in his mouth. He was obviously homeless, and have very rugged clothing and matted down fur, the smell alone coming from him made it obvious. I sighed softly as I quickly straightened up, trying not to seem threatening.

"Sir? Are you okay?" I asked softly as he lidded the trashcan and began backing away slowly.

"Fine. Am I in trouble? I should not be in trouble. Did no wrong." The tiger replied, a small but strong australian accent evident.

"No. No, sir." I replied in a calm manner. "Do you want some money? Maybe buy something to eat?"

The tiger looked at me in surprise, nodding slowly, but almost as if he didn't believe the words out of my mouth. Slowly I pulled out my small wallet, and took out around thirty or so dollars being that was all I had at the moment. He walked over to me slowly, outreaching his arm as he reached for the money that I had handed out to him. When he gripped the money, I let go and backed away with a smile.

"Sorry I can't give you more, that's all I have at the moment." I said with a soft laugh. He only shook his head with a big smile.

"No! This is amazing! You are an amazing animal." He replied, juvious of his new found wealth. It must have seemed like a million bucks to him. I smiled big, proud of my choice. "Thank you so much! Do you have a name?"

"Ah, Judy Hopps, sir." I replied showing him my badge. "It was nice... meeting you... here." Looking around in slight sarcasm, the alleyway, quite grungy and the smell of trash still quite strong.

"Yes, very romantic you could say!" The tiger said with a laugh. I nervously laughed with him as he pocketed the money I had given him.

"Well, you take care of yourself, sir." I said as I began to leave the alley, though the only response he gave was a small wave and a smile, going back to digging through the trash. I sighed as I left the alleyway completely and dug through my pockets as I began to grab my keys in earnest, ready to get home and fall asleep.

* * *

As Judy exited the alleyway, fondling her pockets for her keys, the black van industrial van that was parked behind her squad car suddenly roared to life. Judy, not prepared for the sudden roar of an engine jumped with a slight scream as the lights on the van flashed her slightly. Judy making a mental note that their were no tags on the van.

"Whew! You got me!" Judy said with a wave and a nervous laugh as she looked at the black van, though no response came. Suddenly and without warning, the side doors to the black van slid open and four masked figures, all fairly large in stature piled out and began running at Judy. Realizing what the situation was now, Judy quickly clicked her receiver in an attempt to alert dispatch.

"Dispatch, need immedia-" Judy couldn't finish the call for help as one of the masked figures slammed into her, forcing her to hit the ground. Hard, the sound of crunching plastic filling the air, though Judy ignored it. Getting up quickly, Judy did her best to push away the attacker by slamming her feet into his face, effectively knocking the attacker on his ass, a growl emanating from the fallen attacker. Judy, in her panic, dropped her wallet on the ground as she stood, trying to click back her receiver as she began to run down the sidewalk, only to find that her walkie talkie had been crushed when she had been shoved into the ground.

"Damn!" Judy cursed, though surprised, she couldn't focus on how she had said a bad word, instead she continued to run. Only to be outmatched by an attacker, obviously a cheetah, who was running on all fours.

The masked cheetah quickly jumped onto Judy, knocking her into the ground and forcing her face into the concrete of the sidewalk. Realizing the dire situation at hand, and her last choice, all Judy could do was shout for help.

"Help! Anyone! Please HELP! NICK!" Judy screamed as the cheetah pulled her off the ground and covered her mouth with his paw. Judy could smell the unsanitary smell of dirt and concrete on his paw, but continued to bite onto his pad. Giving Judy the satisfaction of his scream, though the blood tasted awful in her mouth and it made her want to vomit, she only bit down harder and refused to let go, even as the cheetah screamed and began to punch her head in an attempt to get her off him.

"Somebody get this bitch off me!" The cheetah yelled as he continued to slap and punch at Judy, who now only bit down hard, making the cheetah scream louder in pain.

"Will you shut the hell up?! You're attracting too much attention!" The other attacker said as he pulled out a small gun, loading it with a dart that had a frayed out green end to it. Judy, dizzy from the barrage of punches to her head and the splitting headache, could only moan in defeat as she felt the dart hit her in the butt. The tranq forcing Judy to go numb and limp as her mouth, coated in the cheetah's blood, released it's terrible bite.

"I'm gonna have to go to the doctor's now!" The cheetah exclaimed as he held his bleeding paw.

"Aw, shut it. We don't need you going to the hospital, we can just wrap it up at HQ." The other attacker, a panther, replied angrily.

"Look at what that little shit did to me!" The cheetah exclaimed in anger, his paw dripping blood. "I should eat her right here, right now!"

"You should know the consequences of that." The other attacker, a wolf, said. "You know why HE wants her."

"Fine. Stupid bunny is worth the time it would take anyways." The cheetah replied in anger. "If I can't eat her, then someone is taking me to the hospital. I think it's already getting infected..."

"If it'll shut you up, I'll take you later tonight." The wolf replied walking towards Judy. "Just stop talking already."

Picking up the unconscious bunny, the attacker, now kidnapper, threw Judy over his shoulder as the cheetah followed behind complaining about his paw and the pain. The four kidnappers entered the van, throwing Judy in and quickly closed the van door. The black van, once containing its target, sped off into the night leaving the scene quickly.

In the alleyway, the tiger, having seen the entire thing slowly made his way out onto the sidewalk. Looking both ways into the night before leaving the alley, the tiger looked around and saw broken plastic and the wallet of the bunny, Judy Hopps. He softly padded over to the wallet, picking it up as he flipped it over in his paws over and over. Opening it, to find her ID's and other basic information, including a location on where to take the wallet if it had been out her police ID, the tiger looked for the address of her station. Quickly finding what he was in search of, the tiger began to make his way towards the police station that he knew well, as he had been arrested for being a "nuisance" in public.

He of course wanted to avoid interacting with police, but the small bunny had done good by him, so he had to repay the favor.

* * *

 **It was a rather short chapter, but I feel like it was a good start! I understand that this may have been a bit boring, since the glorious Nick wasn't in this chapter, but believe me when I say that you'll love how much of a badass attitude he has when he finds out Judy is kidnapped! I am a bit of a jerk for leaving it off here, but I love me some cliffhangers, so stick around for the next** **installment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed reading! (Although this chapter was a little saddening, since Judy's been kidnapped and all...)**

 **See you all next time!**


	3. Red Meating

**With the introduction of new characters and new plot. I think many of you will find this chapter to be quite enjoyable. Quite, quite.**

 **I want to keep enough action in the story to keep all of you interested as well as keeping the development of the story fresh and new. So, death for some may be a thing in the future, but only OC's or unimportant tag characters.**

 **Sooo... with that out of the way. Go ahead and read the new installment of 'TPiAB'.**

 **Have fun reading!**

 **Summary:** **Nick and Judy were partners in the ZPD police force, and they were damn good together. After Judy is abducted by an underground, prey-hunting organization, it's up to Nick to find her. Not only does Judy have to survive the insanity of of her captors, but now Nick must dive into a world that he had never thought could exist. His love will push him to save Judy no matter what.**

 **Words this Chapter: 4,737 (Excluding A:N's and Bold Text.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Red Meating**

The night felt long and tiresome, Nick thought. It had been a much longer day than he had anticipated, although getting shot was something to brag about back at the station. Nick smiled, remembering Judy and how worried the two were for each other's safety more so their own in those moments of terror. It was something Nick loved to dwell on, especially thinking back on it when the doctor had to stitch up Nick's wounds and then run through some tests. He had apparently hit his head, at least that's what Judy had mentioned when Nick had been shot.

It was quite embarrassing to think that he passed out because of being shot, but the pain that had occurred was enough to knock Nick on his ass, or in this case his head. The concussion, Nick had noticed, had made him slightly dizzy. Although, the doctor had said that it was minor and to just sit down and relax if the dizziness had come back. Nick only nodded and gave grunts of agreement through the whole process, stuck on the thought of Judy.

"Officer Wilde?" The doctor asked standing as he was about to leave. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Yeah I'm fine! Just a bit tired." Nick replied with a small laugh. "It's been a long day..."

The doctor laughed, nodding his head in agreement. "Yes, I would believe it to be. Not everyday someone gets shot!" The joke got across to Nick, him giving a small chuckle.

"Yeah, well I hope it doesn't happen again anytime soon..." Nick said sarcastically. "Say doc, any chance of me getting outta here tonight? I don't like hospitals all too much."

"Yes, of course!" The doctor replied with a smile. "Just be sure to relax and take it easy, though most Officers just come back more banged up than they did coming in."

"No worries there, if I can get a reason to be lazy, I'm taking it." Nick said standing. He attempted to stretch his rather sore arm, but the sling reminded him to leave it alone.

"Well, Goodbye Officer Wilde." The doctor said with a friendly wave as he stepped out.

"Yeah, thanks for fixing me up." Nick said watching the doctor leave the room, the door clicking softly shut as the doctor left the room. Nick, picking up his police hat and putting it on, began to make his way out of the room. Knowing that Judy had most likely gone home to sleep off the hectic day, Nick decided that calling up a taxi for himself was probably a better idea. Nick knew from experience that waking a sleep deprived bunny, or Judy in this case, was NEVER a good idea.

Nick, stopping by the front desk of the hospital, asked the front desk attendant if using the phone would be alright. She obliged after Nick explained that he had left his phone in his squad car and didn't have any other form of communication. Nick, quickly called the Zootopia taxi service, being sure to give them the location of his pickup, how he was a fox, and where he needed to get to.

Deciding to wait in the lobby, Nick waited for about five minutes or so before seeing a taxi cab roll up into the hospital's entrance driveway and parking softly. Throwing down his magazine of Animals he quickly made his way outside and into the cab, greeting a tiger who was less than talkative. Nick enjoyed the silence though, and also enjoyed the soft jazz playing on the radio. Nick always had a soft spot for jazz, though he could listen to other music and enjoy it, jazz always sparked something in him that felt good. Rolling down the window, Nick let in the crisp night air and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, Nick took a deep breath, trying to take in all the fresh air he could.

"Do you mind if the window is open?" Nick asked the taxi driver.

"No, the night is good this night. I do not mind." The striped tiger replied softly. Nick only nodded his head and turned back to the open window, watching the lights of the city pass by in a soft haze of light and darkness.

Nick loved nights like these, anything could happen. That kind of mystery intrigued Nick, especially tonight.

Thinking back to earlier today, Nick knew that the shooter and all of the events that followed were going to inquire a ton of paperwork, which he and Judy both equally hated. Judy always mentioned hate was a strong word, but rather disliked was a more appropriate term. Nick always knew deep down that she hated paperwork, because of the groans that could sometimes be heard when Judy had been assigned the 'pen and paper' duty.

It was always just and evil necessity, Nick remembered saying. Judy had laughed at that, making the memory more fond for Nick.

It hadn't taken long for the taxi to arrive at Nick's apartment, especially since his mind had been distracted with memories and plans of the future. Thanking the cab driver, and tipping generously for the late night pick up, Nick left the cab and walked up to his apartment building's front door and entered. Yawning softly, Nick made his way up to his apartment floor, ready to go to sleep.

When he had finally gotten inside his small apartment and reached his bed, he landed with a thud and a soft groan as he removed his uniform, leaving only his boxers. Pulling the blanket of his bed over him, Nick dug himself in for a good nights sleep and hoping that after today, Judy was having an equally relaxing night.

It had been strange, Nick thought, that Judy hadn't checked up on him. Though he didn't give it much though as the exhaustion and the soreness in his arm pushed him further into a deeper sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, and Nick was fully prepared to face it with his bunny partner.

* * *

 **Judy ~ 12:00 AM**

It was quiet, and the darkness was painful to Judy. The compounding pain of her head and her sore muscles screamed at her, only making the aching worse. She knew she had done a number on that cheetah, though in her drug induced state, Judy could barely remember a damn thing. Let alone the ability to even open her eyes, which seemed to refuse opening. Was it fear? Or just the tranquilizer? Judy was afraid to know the answer to that question, but she knew eventually that she would need to open her eyes to the reality around her.

There was only a soft hum of air, and the occasional cough from an animal from outside whatever container or room she was in. Judy's body felt somewhat contorted to her, the soft pain of being laid in an extremely uncomfortable position was only adding to the aching in her body... in her head. The cold floor beneath her making her feel like a popsicle, so much in fact that she shuddered. The trembling could be felt throughout her body as she shivered against the cold hard floor. Smooth concrete, and there was a constant breeze, coming from the door? Or possibly or hole? Judy didn't know, but she did know that meant there had to be an exit of some sort.

The courage it took for Judy to open her eyes, only seemed sapped away when she finally opened them, only to find the same darkness there was when her eyes had been closed. Originally, she assumed that she somehow went blind, but the draft from whatever opening there was, reassured her when her eyes began to water. Blinking rapidly to remove the tears that formed, Judy stretched to feel around the area she was in. Feeling nothing she, slowly she sank back into her sitting position.

"Why... me?" Judy asked herself. The way her voice scratched and broke made her realize for just how long she may have been out... It scared her in a way she had never thought she could have been scared. The cough outside her dark prison being the only sign of life to Judy... the only thing to confirm that she wasn't alone. That did not make her feel any better.

Judy, slowly but surely began moving her aching body. The soft creak in her petite bones shifting as she weakly pushed herself up. Even without her sight, the room around her spun and made her stomach lurch. Shakily holding her hand to her mouth, Judy took in deep, shaky breaths attempting to calm herself and her stomach. The fear of the unknown had always gotten to Judy, but this was on a whole new level. Everything about her was gripped with fear. Her ears flapped noisily behind her head, her nose twitching softly and her hands shaking uncontrollably. When she attempted to stand, it was in vain as her legs refused to move at all.

She twisted around attempting to find some kind of foundation or bar to bring herself up on her own. She reached out, grasping for something to hold... something to support her. In that moment, Judy wanted to feel in control of something, and her standing seemed to be the one thing that would allow her to feel that.

"Come on..." Judy said to herself, or rather her legs, just to coax them in some silly way. "You've always worked before, so why won't you-"

Without warning, Judy's eyes seared in pain as the room she was in became flush with bright, searing light. She screamed in pain, squeezing her eyes shut and covering her face with her arms, in some desperate way to shield herself from the blinding light.

 **"The bunny is awake."** A voice boomed all around her. **"Such a cute bunny too."**

"W-w-who...s ther..e" Judy shook as her eyes, still shut tight began to slowly crack open. The pure light searing her eyes and keeping her blind to the room.

 **"Oh..."** The voice returned, as if it was mocking Judy's fear. **"Judy, I'm your friend."**

Judy, knowing now that the voice was coming from some sort of speaker, or intercom began to open her eyes. Squinting, she slowly opened them, blinking in the light as she slowly lowered her arms.

"H-how do you kno-w my name?" Judy asked with more confidence.

 **"Well, I've been following you for awhile..."** The anonymous animal replied. **"Ever since you got rid of little 'ol Bellwether."**

"Wait? What?" Judy asked, her nose twitching in fear.

 **"It's not that hard little bunny. Quite simple really."** The voice replied in a mockingly stupid way. Seemingly to make fun of Judy's confusion. **"I've been watching you Judy Hopps. I've wanted to meet you since the day you turned the city against predators."**

Judy, still utterly confused and scared only sat in response.

 **"Listen, I'll be down in a few seconds."** The voice said slowly. The creepiness sent a shiver up Judy's spine. **"I want to meet you. Animal to Animal."**

Judy, quickly attempting to look for a way out began to search the room. Attempting once more to stand, Judy threw herself up thankful that her legs had finally decided to work with her instead of against her. The room she was in was fairly large and consisted of buzzing fluorescent lights. The walls of the room were surprisingly white and the room floor was still the same concrete that she had awoke from. Across the room was a small plastic formed mattress. No sheets and no pillows. Looking back around the room she noticed a large metal door that sat opposite of her.

Running to the door quickly, Judy pulled on the handle and even pushed. In a vain attempt to free her from the room. The door, not budging even an inch, convinced Judy that there was no way she was getting out of the room. Her ears, picking up soft fallen footsteps, alerted Judy that someone had been walking towards the door. As a last ditch plan, Judy got into a kneeling position, ready to push off as soon as the door was opened.

Holding her position, Judy continued to strain her ears to pick up the footsteps as the grew louder and more prevalent. As soon as the footsteps stopped right outside the door, Judy bolted up, ready to full sprint pass whatever lay on the other side. The clunk of the door unlocking made Judy twitch, but as soon as she saw that the door opened, she bolted towards the door and slammed into whoever stood there. She assumed it was the voice that was talking to her, but didn't care as she crashed into the unknown animal and quickly picked herself up.

Judy, noting the hallway she was running in, made it seem like wherever she was it was expensive. Running through the hallway, Judy slowly noticed that she had no idea where she was going and just how lost she was. Turning to the left, Judy heard quick footsteps as she ran down the hall. She could barely tell that they were headed her way, so in a n attempt to hide, she quickly ran to a door that had been in the hallway she was currently lost in.

Opening the door and quickly shutting it behind her, she felt the darkness of the room consume her. The smell in particular made Judy gag, the smell of iron was strong, but she refused to acknowledge it until she knew that whatever threat was outside was gone. The chill in the room was particularly strong, making Judy shiver.

"Okay Judy. So far so good..." She whispered to herself as she tried to calm her shaking hands. The footsteps that she had heard earlier, ran past whatever room she was in and eventually faded to nothing as the shouts of orders and commands could be heard through walkie talkies.

Judy, wanting to see if there was a way out in the room, began to skim the wall for a lightswitch. Judy eventually found what she was looking for and quickly flipped on the lights, smiling as she looked at the switch before turning around.

What she saw was enough to make her scream in terror as she backed against the wall, her hands covering her mouth. Tears began to stream down her face as she looked upon the gruesome scene.

Small prey and large alike hang from the ceiling on meathooks, their maws slacking open with their tongues lolling out, and their eyes, having rolled into the backs of their heads. The rom Judy was in, softly glowed in pale yellow light, a kitchen or storage of some kind. Judy cried as she looked upon a row of bunnies, all hanging from their respective hooks, the only fur left on their bodies, being the fur around their head. She sobbed in fear as she looked at the gruesome tools that had most like been used to carve and skin the animals before her. The prey that Judy was looking upon, seemed to be something of a sick memory of the history museum and the advanced hunting tactics of predators well before peace could be made between the species. Judy wanted it all to be fake. There was just no way for this to exist, but the smell alone only reinforced the horrible, disgusting fact.

Blood was dripping into buckets below each animal, making the soft patter of the room seem that much worse than it had sounded when Judy entered previously to escape her captors. Their was a singular, metallic table across from her that was seemingly stained red with blood. Trying not to vomit, Judy looked away from the scene only to find herself looking upon the skin and fur of the animals, red and butchered, hanging from the wall across from her. Judy, no longer being able to hold back her sickness, Judy fell to her knees and violently threw up. Though there wasn't much in her stomach so most of it was dry heaving and the occasional drool that followed.

Tears staining her face and the ever increasing need to leave the room immediately, Judy stood and quickly pushed the door open, not caring what was on the other side of the door. Practically falling out of the room, Judy slammed into a pair of legs, dressed in soft suit pants. Looking up, Judy saw a wolf with a scar slashing down on his closed eye looking back at Judy with a sickly smile.

"Oh, Judy. If you're hungry, you should've just asked!" The wolf said, the few men behind him chuckling. Judy, with fear obvious on her face could only fall back, her mouth agape with fear as she saw the men stand in front of her, no emotion playing as they looked into the kitchen. Judy, for a second, thought she saw hunger in their eyes. A primal hunger that filled her with fear.

"What is all of this?!" Judy yelled in fearful tone, grasping the attention of the predators now in front of her.

"What is this?" The wolf replied raising his eyebrow in mock confusion. "Well, it's our dinner of course."

"You know what I mean!" Judy yelled back, the her voice breaking. The wolf only grabbed her by her neck, slamming her against the wall, holding her there.

"Don't patronize me, Judy." The wolf said, getting in Judy's face. With how close he was to Judy, she couldn't help but look at who she was finally dealing with.

The wolf in question had tanish brown fur, with soft greys moving across his face. The most notable, to Judy, was the rather nasty scar that ran a ragged path down his left eye. The fleshy scar scared Judy more, the wolf's other eye staring her down with the glare of a crisp yellow and a glint of satisfaction shining in his pupil. His breath smelled terribly, forcing Judy to look away, the unpleasing smell turning her stomach. The wolf was dressed in a light grey suit, the red tie flashing brightly against the wolf's clothing and fur. His voice, was gruff and menacing when he had threatened her, although when he was calm, his voice was soft. The factor of the kitchen only worsened Judy's mood as he tightened his grip on her neck.

"Why are you doing this?!" Judy asked, wheezing through each word. He only chuckled softly, softly running his paw down Judy's cheek, smearing the tears into her fur. Judy jerked from his paw, her nose twitching in fear.

"Well... prey tastes... good." The wolf replied shrugging as he looked at his men behind him for some kind of approval, the three predators behind him happily agreed with soft 'Yeahs' and high fives. Judy, disgusted by the predators in front of her only fought harder as she kicked away at the wolf.

"You're a monster!" Judy screamed as she pushed away from the wolf, who only tightened his grip on her throat, choking her. "You're... ins..ane!"

"Oh, nonono. I'm a predator." The wolf said, bringing his maw directly to her face. His voice gruff with hunger and delight. "And you're my prey."

* * *

 **Nick ~ 2:45 PM**

 _"Come on Judy, you know that's not true." Nick said scruffing her head lightly. "Nobody cares enough to do anything about it anyway!"_

 _"I... I know Nick, but... what if we get fired?" Judy replied, worry coursing through her. "Or worse?!"_

 _"Listen, Judy..." Nick said kneeling in front of her with a quirky smile. "I love you no matter what. Nothing is going to change that. Not Bogo, not this city and definitely not some stupid taboo."_

 _"Yeah... I guess you're right Nick..." Judy said, Nick reassuring voice finally convincing her. She blushed softly as she looked up at him with a smile. "I love you - **BEEP BEEP BEEP."**_

 _"Wait what?" The look on Judy's face had not changed, but the strangely familiar sound that came from her surprised him. "Are you okay Judy? You sick?"_

 _"What? No!" Judy replied softly punching his arm. "I said I - **BEEP BEEP BEEP."**_

 _"What is going on?" Nick stated standing back from Judy, who face was blank._

 ** _BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_**

* * *

 **BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP**

Nick awoke, his eyes heavy and his mouth dry. Groaning softly, Nick forced himself up and pushing away from his comfortable pillow. The incessant beep of his alarm clock, beginning to anger him. Making a fist, he practically punched the alarm clock's snooze button, silencing its constant alarm. Falling onto his back, Nick softly rubbed his eyes, before stretching out his one arm with a thick yawn.

Pushing himself off the bed, and tasting the morning breath he had, Nick headed straight to his bathroom. Stepping in and switching on the lightswitch, the room filling with a soft yellow light. Nick proceeded to brush his teeth and complete his morning routine, though it had been around 2 or so when he had awoken, though he was too tired to have noticed the time on his alarm clock when waking up. Nick was never good with waking up, he shared that little habit with Judy. Removing his sling and the old bandage around his wound, Nick hopped into the shower washing away the grime of yesterday and being sure to be extremely tender with the stitched wound on his arm. The warm, running water soothed his wound, relaxing him as he stood under the soft spray of the showerhead.

After finishing his shower, Nick stepped out, dried off, and wrapped his arm in the extra bandage that the doctor had given him to keep the wound clean. Finishing his morning, or rather afternoon routine, Nick finally decided to get clothed. It was his day off, but Nick knew all to well that he would probably get called into the station for the paperwork, though he knew that he and Judy would see no field work today due to yesterday's events.

Not wanting to bother with his uniform, Nick just threw on his off day outfit, his soft khakis and his green Hawaiian button up shirt. Applying the sling to his injured arm, Nick suddenly remembered that he had left his phone in the squad car, meaning that Judy had most likely dropped off the cruiser at the station lot and even more likely his phone would be dead. Before leaving the room, Nick stuffed his policed badge into his shirt's pocket, before entering the lobby of his apartment building ready to leave.

Nick decided to walk to the station, rather than call another taxi cab. Usually Judy would have been there to pick him up, but after noticing that she was not parked in their usual pick up spot, he assumed that she had been at the office, cracking down on the paperwork. Although Finnick used to drive him, ever since Nick had become a cop, the small ex-partner in crime avoided Nick. Nick understood though, and didn't judge Finnick for his choice as he had never expected to become a cop himself.

Nick knew the walk to the station wouldn't be bad, it being just a small 30 minute walk or so. Usually he enjoyed cutting that to 10, but Judy had not been there to pick him up. Stuffing his paw into his pocket, Nick shuffled down the empty sidewalk, enjoying the morning summer air.

The walk itself had not been to bad, although he did almost trip over a couple of mice, who was equally at fault, but still griped and hollered at him in their squeaky and irritating voices. Nick had finally approached the station and was walking up the stairs, when he noticed that two officers who were standing outside, suddenly looked at him with weird looks. They almost looked... guilty? Ashamed? Nick was usually good at reading faces, but the minute he looked their way they immediately turned away from him and began to walk away. Nick had assumed that animals had gotten over a fox cop, but maybe some things couldn't change.

Nick only shrugged as he walked into the station his sly smile comfortably plastered on his face. The station had been eerily quiet and somewhat empty, Nick could only assume animals were stuck with paperwork, or a meeting had been taking place that required every mammal in the station. Which never happened. Nick's smile disappeared as he walked further into the station and to the front desk where Clawhauser sitting at the front desk looking rather depressed.

Mentally kicking himself, Nick remembered that Claahauser's birthday had been yesterday and he had entirely forgotten! Judy was going to destroy Nick for this, thinking of the next best thing, Nick approached the front desk getting Clawhauser's attention.

"Hey, Clawhauser." Nick greeted slowly. Clawhauser, looking up in surprise leaned over the desk looking at Nick with a mix of sadness and pity... somewhat as if he was hiding something. Clawhauser picked up the front desk phone and silently informed someone of something, though Nick couldn't hear as his chubby friend whispered into the phone.

"Hey... Nick." Clawhauser said, his usual gay **(Happy)** emotion now gone. "Liste-"

"No, I know." Nick said laughing nervously. "I missed the party, I apologize man. I was so tired yesterday and I totally forgot!"

"What? Nick, haven't you heard?" Clawhauser said softly, confusing the fox.

"What do you mean...?" Nick said slowly, confused by Clawhauser's response. He noticed that Chief Bogo, his face more grim than usual, was walking towards them from the first floor's central meeting room.

"Nick... This is gonna be hard for you..." Clawhauser replied, his voice seemingly getting softer with despair. Nick's heart panged softly at the remark only adding to his confusion.

"What are you talking abouts Clawhauser?" Nick retorted back, beginning to get angry. "What the hell is going on?"

"Judy was..." Clawhauser only paused, his breath shaking lightly. Chief Bogo, now standing amongst the two, rubbed his eyes before resting his hoofs at his hips.

"Nick. You need to know something that won't be easy to hear." Chief Bogo said gruffly, his voice hoarse and more tired than usual. Nick immediately knew something was wrong the minute the Chief had said his first name. He never used first names, ever.

"Woah, hold up Chief!" Nick said stopping the Chief. "What's with the first name basis? What is going on here? Where is everyone?"

"Nick..." The Chief continued, his accent softening as he kneeled down to Nick's level. "Judy, was abducted last night."

* * *

 **Done. D-O-N-E. Done.**

 **I enjoyed writing this chapter though because this is where the real story begins! Did you get the joke in the chapter's title? "Red Meating"? Get it? No... ? Well, fine whatever.**

 **Don't you all love cliffhangers? Cause I sure do! Muhahaha!**

 **See you all in the next installment!**


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